1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to laser systems for eye surgery, and more particularly to a compact excimer laser eye surgery system particularly suited for laser in situ keratomileusis.
2. Description of the Related Art
Since the invention of spectacles, doctors and scientists have striven to improve human vision. From eye glasses, to contact lenses, to radial keratotomy, doctors have sought more convenient and permanent solutions to defective vision.
The development of the excimer laser provided a unique opportunity for vision correction. The excimer laser, especially an argon fluoride excimer laser operating at a 193 nanometers, removes tissue through a non-thermal process of “ablation” in which the molecular bonds of tissue are literally broken. This allows precise amounts of tissue to be removed without heating the surrounding tissue-heating that can burn that tissue leading to scarring. This ablative process using the excimer laser has been employed in a number of ways to literally reprofile the surface of the eye. These techniques are described, for example, in Assignee's U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/338,495, filed Nov. 16, 1994, and Ser. No. 08/324,782, filed Oct. 18, 1994, which are hereby incorporated by reference.
These techniques have been taken a step further through the development of laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK), a technique in which the surface layer of the eye is resected, and the underlying stromal tissue is removed using this laser ablation technique. That surface layer is then replaced, and the epithelium then regrows, holding the surface layer in place. This technique has been patented by Gholam Peyman in U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,175, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Both of these techniques, however, benefit from efficient and compact workstations. These techniques generally should be performed in surgical quality clean rooms. Such clean rooms tend to be expensive, so any reduction in the amount of space taken by an excimer laser surgery system would be beneficial. Further, devices providing an integration of functionality and an increase in efficiency are also greatly desirable.